Falling Away
by A Wandering Storyteller
Summary: Remiel, Vienna and Jessie Chase are three kids under less-than-fortunate circumstances. When the eldest does something forbidden across dimensions, they are sent to another world. Separated, will the Chase siblings find each other again? Or does Truth have diffrent plans...
1. Prologue

**Falling Away**

**Prologue: Family Issues**

**Hi everyone! Wandy here!**

**So, I HAVE A STORY NOW! And it's all mine! :D I'm so happy right now. I wanted to do my own Fullmetal fanfic, but the muse has never come knocking at my door. But thanks to my friend Ilvhstry, that's changed a bit. So thank you soo much, my dear. If it wasn't for our crazy fanfic, and your encouragement, this story wouldn't have happened.**

**But enough of my ramblings, ON WITH THE SHOW!**

**Oh! I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I do own the Chase siblings and Shannon, though. :)**

"So, have you watched it yet?"

"No Shannon, I haven't watched it yet."

Two girls stood outside Riverview Middle School, waiting for their rides home.

"Well, why not?"

"'Cause I have other things to worry about. Like school work."

"Aww, don't be such a downer Vi! Just watch the show, its amazing!"

"Look, I'll watch the show another day. Right now, I have bigger things to worry about."

"Vienna!"

Vi smiled when she saw her older brother's beat-up car.

"Gotta go Sha. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

She jumped into the car, sighing as the car door clicked close. She leaned back, closing her eyes.

"Hey sis. How was your day?"

"Rem, you know as well as I do that it hasn't changed in a few months. Today wasn't any different."

Silence filled the car as Remiel drove away from the school.

* * *

"Vivi!"

Vienna smiled at her baby sister as she walked down the hall.

"Heya kiddo!" Vi picked her up and hugged her. "How are you today?"

"Good. Mommy?"

"Mommy… can't be home right now. But she says to tell you that she loves you and that she'll try to see ya."

"Love too. Daddy same?"

"Yes honey, Daddy too."

Jessie sighed."M'kay."

Vi smiled, lifting her sister up on her shoulders. Jes squealed as Vi zoomed around the house.

"Now don't be sad! Wanna go make fun of Bubby?"

"Yeah!"

The sisters walked around the house, searching each room.

"Hey Rem! Where are ya?"

"Bubby!"

They entered the garage to a strange sight. A large chalk circle was drawn in the middle of the floor, a tub of grey in the middle. Remiel was holding his hands above the lines, looking a bit unsure.

"…Brother? What are you doing?"

He looked up, smiling at his baby sisters. "I'm gonna make everything right, you two. I promised, remember?"

"What exactly are you talking about?"

"I found a way to get Mom back."

"Mommy?"

"Yeah Jes, Mommy will be home soon."

"Rem, are you feeling okay? No one comes back from the dead brother. Just let it go."

"No Vi! I did all the research. I know this will work! Just watch me!"

Rem pressed his hands to the circle, causing bright colors to appear. The sisters looked in awe, watching the pretty lights swirl around the room. Suddenly, the colors grew darker, and the light gave off a menacing aura.

Then came the arms.

They grabbed Jes first, pulling her out of Vi's grasp. Vi followed Jes, screaming at the arms to let her go. Both were pulled into the black abyss, screaming in terror. Rem reached for them, dragging himself after his sisters. The three siblings clung to each other, screaming as the door shut them out.

And then, nothing.

**So, what do you guys and gals think? I hope you liked it!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Falling Away**

**Chapter One: We All Fall Down**

**Hi everyone!**

**Alright, another chapter! YAY! Thank you for the reviews, they made me happy! Oh, and a special thanks to Ilvhstry for checking this for me. You, my friend, are awesome.**

**So, without further delay, here's the chapter. :)**

Pitch dark.

It was pitch dark when Vi felt her sister being pulled away. She screamed silently, fighting to keep her sister with her. Fighting so that neither one of them would be alone.

She lost.

Jes was pulled out of her grasp. Vi reached out for her, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. But Jes was gone. She couldn't find her anymore. Vi curled into a ball, crying over it all. Rem was gone. Her baby sister was taken from her. All alone.

She felt herself falling down, but she didn't care. What could she do when she didn't know what happened? As consciousness seeped away from her, Vi thought she heard someone speak.

"_Good luck trying to find them again."_

* * *

Vi woke up in an alley, soaking wet and hurting. She stood up shakily, taking a few hesitant steps, peaking out into the empty street.

"Rem?" She whispered, "Jes?"

She let go of the wall she was holding, taking a step out to the sidewalk. She stumbled, falling to the ground. She heard the crashing of feet against pavement.

"Are you okay?"

Vi just cried, only seeing his blue uniform. Where could they have gone? And why did she hurt so much?

"Help." She pleaded before the world turned black.

* * *

She woke up again in a hospital. She groaned, sitting up slowly.

"Hey! Good to see you awake."

Vi turned a bit, seeing the man in the blue uniform.

"Where am I?"

"You're in Central Hospital."

She nodded, "How long have I been out? I was in an alley, if I recall."

"You passed out in that alley, and I took you here. You've been in a coma for a few days now."

"Oh. Thank you for taking me here."

"It's no problem." He looked at her questioningly, "What's your name?"

"Vienna Chase. Yours?"

"I'm Maes Hughes." He put out his hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." She shook his hand.

"Are you from around here, kid?"

Vi looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"You're not in any of the files here in Central. Or anywhere in Amestris."

"Amestris?"

"You don't know what Amestris is?"

"No." She looked around, "I just wanna find my brother and sister. Can I go please?"

"Your siblings are missing?" Vi nodded. "What happened, exactly?"

"I don't know." She sunk a bit. "All I know is that my brother's an idiot. He made this big circle on the floor with a tub of… grey stuff in the middle and put his hands on the circle."

"What else happened?"

"Well, this light started swirling around the room. It was bright and cheerful at first, but then it went dark. Then these… hands grabbed us and took us away. And then I ended up in that alley. You mean no one was near me?"

"No."

"Oh."

Vi looked at her hands, hope draining away with each passing second. She didn't know where she was; her siblings were gone and she didn't know what Rem was trying to do. She was totally, completely lost.

Hughes looked at her, sympathy in his eyes. Then he smiled, "You don't have a place to stay, do you?"

"No. Why…"

"Then you can come and stay with my family and me! My little Elicia is just so cute! Do you wanna see her?"

"Sure, why—"

Dozens of pictures were stuffed in her face as Hughes gave a running commentary on each one.

**Gosh, I just love Hughes, don't you? XD I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll get another one out as soon as possible.**

**Bye!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Falling Away**

**Chapter Two: Home Away From Home**

**Hi everyone!**

**Here's the next chapter! Enjoy.**

**I forgot to say this before, but I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I wish I did, but I don't. **

Vienna stayed in the hospital for two days, per doctor's orders. She paced around the hospital with nothing to do. Her brother and sister were out there somewhere, and she wanted to find them. Now. By the end of the second day, her patience was wearing thin.

"Mr. Hughes, can we go now? I really don't want to be here anymore."

Hughes laughed as he signed her out. "What, white too boring for you?"

"It's even more boring when you have nothing to do. Or something to find."

Hughes sighed as they walked out of the hospital, "Look, I know you want to find your siblings. It's going to take a while for my team to figure out where they are. Heck, no one knew you existed until a little more than a week ago."

Vi sighed, "I know, I know. I just want to find them, that's all. This waiting's making me impatient, I guess. Thank you for doing this, by the way."

"I'm happy to help you find them any way I can."

"Still, thank you." She smiled, "So I finally get to see your family today, right?"

"Yes. Elysia's so excited to meet you! And Gracia's going to make this huge dinner for you!"

"Really? Just because I'm out of the hospital?"

"Well, yeah. Gracia's just so generous like that."

Vi stayed silent as they got into the car. Even Hughes' constant praise of his family couldn't stir her. When was the last time anyone had done something like this for her? She just couldn't remember…

* * *

She was jolted out of her thoughts when the pair stopped at the Hughes residence. They hadn't even gotten to the front door when someone came running out.

"Daddy!"

Elysia ran into her father, falling onto her butt. Hughes laughed, picking up his baby girl.

"Hello sweetheart!" He gave her a huge hug, "How was your day?"

"Good. I helped Mommy cook!"

"She sure did!" Gracia walked up, kissing her husband on the cheek. "She was a really big helper."

Hughes turned around, ushering Vi from her place next to the fence. "Come on, don't be shy! Gracia, Elysia, this is Vienna Chase."

"Hi."

"Hello!" Gracia smiled kindly, "I've heard so much about you. I'm Gracia, and I'm so happy to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too, ma'am." Vi shook her hand.

"Now none of that. You can call me Gracia or Mrs. Hughes."

"Yes Ma… Mrs. Hughes."

"Hello!" Elysia reached her hand over her dad's shoulders, "I'm Elysia. You have a pretty name."

Vi laughed as she shook her hand, "Thank you. Your name is very pretty. Almost as pretty as you!"

The little girl giggled, joy sparkling in her eyes. Gracia laughed, taking her into her arms.

"Well, let's not stay out here. Dinner's ready!"

"Alright!" Hughes followed his wife and child into the house.

She smiled as she walked into the Hughes residence. It was almost like home.

* * *

Vi sat in her room after a lovely dinner with the Hughes. She gazed out of her window, looking out into this new world. Where could they be? And how would she find them? Then she sat up, sighing.

"Well, looks like I'm not getting any sleep."

She snuck her way out of her room, hoping not to disturb anyone. She sat in the living room, just staring at the wall.

"Something on your mind?"

She jumped slightly, seeing both Mr. and Mrs. Hughes behind her.

"…Yeah." She sighed, leaning back, "I've never been separated from them this long."

Husband and wife sat next to Vi, giving a sympathetic look.

"Why don't you tell us more?" Gracia nudged.

"My dad was in the military."

"Really?" Hughes was shocked, "Then I should have found something…"

"Mr. Hughes, even I don't know what happened." She sighed, "We moved with each deployment, always supportive. Then Dad had to go away for a while… and he never came back."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Mrs. Hughes. It was a long time ago. Jes had only been a year old, I was eight and Rem was fourteen. Mom was still alright then…"

The Hughes' waited patiently for her to continue.

"Mom got really sick with something a year ago. She fought it, but in the end, it took her away. Rem, Jes and I have been taking care of each other ever since. I just…" Tears dropped down, "I don't wanna lose them."

Gracia hugged her, trying not to cry as Vi sobbed into her shoulder. Hughes gave her a pat on the back.

"Don't worry kid. I'll find them if it's the last thing I do. Then you'll be there to give them a great big hug."

Vi sniffled, looking at the two adults.

"I know. Thank you both for taking me in. I hope I'm not a burden…"

"Of course you're not! Don't think of yourself like that. We're glad to have you here."

Vi gave Gracia a hug, "Thank you. Both of you."

**And... done! How'd you guys like it? Was it good?**

**Thanks for reading! I'll see ya soon, okay!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Falling Away**

**Chapter Three: Parties and Meetings**

**Hi everyone!**

**I apologise for not updating recently. Life got really busy for a while. But I'm here! And I have a chapter for ya! Hope you all enjoy it.**

**I don't own FMA.**

* * *

Vienna sighed as she watched the snow drift past her window.

"December 21st. A little more than a month with no leads. Where could they have gone?"

"Sis!"

She laughed as Elysia waddled into her room, covered head-to-toe in snow gear.

"Why are you calling me Sis?" She asked, picking the younger girl up.

"Daddy says you're a good big sister." The girl huffed, "So you're Sis!"

Vi chuckled, squeezing her a little tighter, "Well little one, why are you bundled up so much? Planning to go outside?"

"Mommy says I can if you go out too. Please?"

She put Elysia down, throwing on her jacket and gloves before she put her on her shoulders. They raced down the hallways, laughing as they landed in the snow. Vi began to roll a snowball around, its size getting larger with each push.

"What are you doing?" Elysia looked on curiously.

"I'm making a snow person. Watch!"

She rolled three different sized snowballs, stacking them on top of one another. She got rid of the lumps, smiling as the snow man took shape.

"See? And then you make its face and arms out of twigs, carrots… anything, really."

Elysia laughed with delight, packing another snowball into her hands. "Let's make more!"

"Okay!" Vi laughed at her enthusiasm. "We'll make a whole family! Sound good?"

She nodded, the girls starting to work on their new project. Two hours later, they stood in front of their four snow people. Carrots and coal adorned smiling faces and stick arms waved to the streets.

"Well, I didn't know that we'd have visitors so soon!"

"Daddy!"

"I wouldn't worry about these guests, Mr. Hughes." Vi laughed as Hughes came through the gate, "They don't eat much and don't get cold!"

He laughed, "Haven't you two been busy?"

"Yeah! Sis taught me." Elysia had the biggest grin on her face.

Vi smiled weakly, picking the younger girl up, "Come on, Elysia. We better go get changed before the party guests arrive."

* * *

She sighed as the Christmas party picked up its pace. She felt alone here, the crowd too large for her comfort. But the Hughes' had insisted that she joined the festive fun, and she couldn't refuse. But she was sticking to the walls.

She looked in one of the corners, a large suit of armor catching her interest. Walking forward, Vi looked up at it in awe.

"Hello."

She jumped a bit, startled by the sudden voice. There was a person in there? Why was he wearing a suit of armor?

"Hi!" She decided to stand next to him, "Nice party, huh?"

"Yeah, Mr. and Mrs. Hughes did very well."

"They sure did." She smiled softly, "This is my first Christmas in a long time. I forgot what it was all like."

"Really?" The armor turned to her, "You haven't celebrated Christmas?"

"We used to…" She frowned a bit, "But then Dad went MIA. Mom wasn't really a Christmas type of person. She'd get us presents, but there wasn't a big fuss."

"Where's your family? Are they here?"

"I wish they were. Truth is, I have no idea where they are." She sighed, looking frustrated, "And I can't seem to find them! No one can…"

"Don't worry! I'm sure you'll find them again."

"It'd be easier if I knew where to look… all I know is that I'm going to kick my brother's ass for trying to bring back Mom."

The boy gasped, managing to look surprised. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well…"

"Hey Al!"

They both turned, a short boy with golden hair walking towards them.

"Want to go look through those notes again?"

"But didn't Mr. Hughes invite us to get away from our work for a night?"

"Yeah, but I'm bored. And we've been here long enough."

"Okay." The armored boy turned to Vi, "I'll see you later…"

"Vi. I'm Vienna Chase." She grinned, "It was nice to meet you…"

"I'm Alphonse Elric."

"It was nice to meet you, Alphonse. Good luck with your research!"

"Thanks!"

Vi watched as the brothers left, staying in the corner as the party continued.

"Why was Al surprised when I told him about what happened?" She shook her head, "I'll ask Mr. Hughes about the brothers later. I shouldn't be so anti-social, I guess."

She stretched a bit, walking into the crowd.

* * *

**And it's good! I'm working on the next chapter, so expect it to be out soon!**

**See ya later!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Falling Away**

**Chapter Four: Lab Five, Part One**

**Hello once again, audience!**

**I did tell you guys to look out for the next chapter soon. And here it is! I had to break up Lab Five into chunks, so expect the next 2-3 chapters to revolve around the events of Lab Five. Thank you once again to Ilvhstry for being my fantastic beta. And to all of you who have favorited/reviewed/read this story so far: THANK YOU! You guys keep me writing. :)**

**Well, I'm not going to bore you anymore with this note. On with the show!**

* * *

December had passed, bringing after it a new year. Vi continued to search for her family, losing hope as each day brought no new leads on their whereabouts. By mid- January, she was losing any hope she had left of finding them again.

"Vienna!" Vi looked up from her book as Hughes raced into the room.

"What is it, Mr. Hughes?" She looked confused, "Aren't you supposed to be at work right now?"

"No time for that." His seriousness caught her attention, "We've got a lead on your brother."

"Really?!" The biggest grin took her face, "That's fantastic! Where is he?"

"We don't know." Her grin faltered, "But someone matching Remiel's description was seen outside Lab Five."

"Lab Five? What's that?"

"Lab Five's an old military facility, abandoned because of structural problems."

"Who cares?" Her smile came back, "My brother was there! Let's go check it out!"

"Not so fast." He stopped her from running out the door, "I know it's going to be hard, but you have to wait."

"Wait?! After two months of waiting, you want me to wait some more?!"

"Look, Lab Five is off limits. It's going to take a while to get the permission to search the place. And even then, it's too dangerous for a child."

"I'm thirteen, not a child." She pouted. "And I don't care if it's dangerous. I'm going to look for my brother!"

He sighed, "Look, it'll be a week at the most. I know you've waited a long time, but just a little longer? It'll be easier to find evidence with more eyes, don't you think?"

"I guess so." Vi smiled weakly, "I'm sure you'll find out what's happening. I'll let you handle it."

* * *

She sat in her room that night, writing on a piece of paper.

_Mr. and Mrs. Hughes,_

_I'm really sorry, but I just couldn't stay here. I've finally gotten a lead, and I'm not going to let it go. If we wait too long, it'll be the only lead I'll get. I can't just sit on the sidelines while someone else searches._

_I'm sorry._

_Vienna Chase_

She left the note on her bed, climbing out of her window on her makeshift rope. She landed on the ground, looking at her map before setting off for Lab Five.

* * *

After an hour of wandering, she finally came up to the gate. 'Keep out' was posted in large, red letters on the front.

"Looks like I found it."

Two shadows were at the sign already, trying to pull the gate open.

"Ed? Al?"

The boys turned around, shock clear on their faces.

"Vi! What are you doing here?" Al asked.

"I could ask you guys the same question."

"Well, it's none of your business."

"Then my business here is none of your concern, Ed."

Ed seemed a bit angry at her, "Well, you shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous for a kid."

"Aren't you two kids? Wouldn't others say the same thing?"

"Um… well…"

"Look, it's obvious all of us are looking for something in that Lab." She pointed to the gate, "And I also know that if Hughes told me no, someone else told you no. So why don't we work together to get what we need?"

"Brother, she has a point."

"I know, Al." He sighed, "Fine. You can come with. But if you get in the way…"

"Trust me, I won't be."

Ed turned back to the gate, looking around. Something glinted on the ground.

"Are those tripwire alarms?" Al asked.

"Yep."

"Well, if that isn't suspicious, I don't know what is." Vi shook her head, "No way we'll get in that way."

"Come on, let's try the back." Ed ran around the corner, Al and Vi following him.

They came up to a wall, barbed wire covering the top.

"Al, boost."

He kneeled down, putting his hands together. Ed stepped up, his brother propelling him to the top of the wall. He unraveled the wire, sending it down.

"I hate to say it, but you can't fight convenience. Its times like these I'm glad not to have an arm and leg made of flesh and blood."

"Well, I can't say the same of myself. Al, if you could…"

He boosted her up, sending her to where Ed was. She proceeded to jump down the other side, rolling to cushion her fall. The boys landed next to her, and the tree of them walked to the front door.

"Another barricade? For an abandoned facility, this is well protected."

"Yeah." Ed looked around, "We'll have to find a more creative way in."

"Hey, up there!" Al pointed to a grate in the wall.

"Me and Ed should be able to get in, but what about you? That armor doesn't help in small spaces."

Ed climbed onto Al's shoulder, looking into the passageway.

"Looks like it goes all the way in. Al, you'll have to wait here."

"Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Silly Al, I'm going in too!" She grinned, "He won't be alone."

"Right. And okay or not, it's our only choice here. We can't fit you in here."

Ed climbed into the vent, Vi following shortly after.

"Just wait here, Al. We'll be back in no time!"

They continued to crawl down the passageway, the sides getting tighter and tighter.

"Damn it, this is smaller than I thought. See, if I was normal sized, I wouldn't have fit and we would have had to call this off. It really is a good thing I'm so small."

"Don't say that around Mustang, he'll use it against you." Vi struggled onward, glad that she hadn't grown much. "And you better not throw a fit about your height here. I'll kick you so hard…"

"Oh look, an exit!"

Ed kicked the grate, causing it to fall to the ground. Vi sighed at they got out, stretching as she hit the ground.

"I say that we never do that again."

Ed ignored her, looking at the lights along the wall.

"The lights are still on. How do they explain that when they say they don't use this place anymore?" He grinned as he turned the corner, "Running up the bill just for fun?"

As he stepped on a tile, it sunk into the floor.

"That can't be good…"

Spikes rained from the ceiling, Ed and Vi barely dodging them as they fell.

"What the hell was that?" Ed looked shocked.

"I don't know, but let's avoid it in the future."

Ed put his hand down, another tile sinking into the floor. A huge blade came down from the wall, the two of them jumping out of the way. More spikes came out of the opposite wall, almost pinning the two of them down. Then the floor opened up, leading to a spike pit. They clung to the edge, slowly climbing to the top.

"… Didn't I tell you to avoid those?!" Ed started to laugh, "I don't find this a funny situation, Ed."

"For them to go through all this trouble, they must have something here they really don't want to be seen." He crawled out of the pit fully, "I'm getting excited. I just love being right."

"Great. Traps equal correct assumption to you. I'll have to keep that in mind." Vi climbed out completely, sighing in relief, "At least that's over…"

Ed pressed another tile with his hand. They froze, listening for the next trap. The hallway started to shake, a rumbling sound coming closer to where they were. They stood up completely, looking down the hall. A large, round stone came out of the celling, speeding towards them.

"AH!" Ed looked panicked.

Vi just turned around, racing down the hallway. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE, RUN!"

He turned, catching up to Vi quickly. They ran down the hallways, the rock slowly catching up to them.

"You know, for a lifeless ball of rock, it sure is persistent!"

Ed then tripped, falling to the ground. Vi stopped, looking back. She dropped to the ground, rolling to one side of the hallway while Ed rolled to the other. The rock passed them by, leaving them unscathed.

"See? And here I thought all this time that being normal sized was a good thing."

"You're telling me." Vi sighed in relief, "Can we just keep going? I really don't like it here…"

"Then why don't you go back?"

"Because I have something important to find." She stood up, brushing herself off, "And I'm not leaving until I find him or where he's gone."

"Damn it, enough is enough!" Ed clapped his hands, putting them to the ground as blue light raced down the hallway.

"…Well, I assume that took care of the traps?" He nodded, "Good. Let' go, shall we?"

* * *

**There ya go! Two chapters in one day. O.O WITCHCRAFT! Lol, I hope you enjoyed reading this!**

**See ya soon!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Falling Away**

**Chapter Five: Lab Five, Part Two**

**Hello everyone! Happy morning-afternoon-night-thing!**

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own FMA.**

* * *

Ed and Vi walk down the hall, coming up to a door.

Ed smirked, "Finally, a nice, basic door."

"You sure about that?" Vi looked at the door uncertainly, "With the way things have been going, it wouldn't surprise me if this was a trap, too."

He opened the door, walking into a well-lit room with pillars. They both moved on, Ed's foot hitting a human skull.

"Eww…" Vi looked at the skull, "I wonder what killed this poor fellow…"

The door creaked close behind them, causing the two to turn around.

"Nice of you to come."

They turned around again, seeing a man in samurai-looking armor moving towards them.

"I told you that door was a trap!" Vi whispered to Ed.

"Graciously do I welcome you here." He pulled out a sword and pointed it at them.

Ed smirked, "You don't look to welcoming with that sword."

The armored man continued to talk, "I have been entrusted with guarding these grounds. For now, you may call me number 48."

"48. It's catchy."

"Catchy? We're facing a guy with a sword, and you think his name is catchy?"

"It's been silent for too long. I am pleased to be facing someone capable again. But your luck has run out running into me. Do not think ill of me, children."

"And you don't think ill of me for being the child who defeated you!" Ed clapped his hands again, forming a blade from his arm. "How about a little blade-on-blade?"

Vi looked between the two of them, backing out of the fighting radius. "Yeah, I have nothing. I'm just going to stand over here…"

"As guardian, you must know this place pretty well. I've got a question for ya."

"Defeat me. Then we'll talk." The man raced forward, sword at the ready. "Now, let's see how good you are!"

Ed jumped back, blocking the attack with his right arm.

"Automail up to the shoulder." Number 48 continued to attack Ed, "No matter. My sword can even cut through steel!"

"I hope you're kidding, pal." Ed pushed back his attacker, "If I break this arm again, there's a girl who's gonna wring my neck!"

They continued to fight, the ring of metal against metal rebounding around the room. Vi snuck around, gathering rocks and skulls into a little pile. Ed landed a kick on him, shock falling onto his face. He then jumped past, grabbing the cloth covering the helmet and removing it.

Number 48 held his head, "Curious child…" He turned around, showing nothing inside.

"H-h-he's empty inside!" Vi was shocked. "How?"

Ed smirked triumphantly, "I knew it. You're as hollow as they come. A spirit in a can."

"I'm surprised you realized it." The armor put his sword on his shoulder. "Well done."

"It was easy, actually. I spar against someone like you all the time. And the way you move, it's a dead giveaway."

"Wait… Al's like that too?" Vi muttered to herself.

"Really?" The armor sounded shocked, "You don't say… You mean there's someone like me in the outside world?"

"It's annoying, huh." His grin got smugger, "I can't believe some idiot besides me got the idea to bond a soul to a suit of armor. Now I'm feeling unoriginal."

"Fascinating." The armor put his helmet back to the way it was. "This deserves a better introduction. Number 48 was my label as a condemned prisoner. According to the official records, I was executed two years ago."

"Prisoner?" Ed looked more focused.

"Oh fun, prison parties."

"When my body was flesh and blood, the papers called me the Slicer. I was a mass murderer and I made a real splash. Here, my skills have been put to a different use: as it's immortal guard."

"No, you're hardly immortal."

The man leaned back in shock, "What?"

Ed pointed at the Slicer's helmet, "That seal of blood. It's Alchemy. Someone took the iron in that blood and attuned it to the metal in your armor. That's what keeps your soul bound to this world. If someone breaks the seal it's made, then you're a dead man."

The Slicer just started laughing, leaving Ed and Vi confused.

"Finally, someone with a backbone, someone who thinks they can live! This should be a good fight."

He put up a brave face, "I've told you that I know your weakness. This is your final warning before I use it."

"I don't care. See, I'm the type of person who likes a little struggle in the kill." He raised his sword, "So try to make it last."

They stood there, both ready to attack at any second. The Slicer ran at Ed, coming close to slicing his left arm. His movements were quick, barely giving Ed anytime to do anything but block. Vi stood behind a pillar, watching helplessly as the two fought. Ed was able to push off one of his attacks, switching the roles of the two combatants. He missed one hit, the Slicer getting the chance to attack once again. Ed blocked it, pushing away and holding his shoulder. He looked panicked for a second, but he regained himself. His attacks became more aggressive, as if he was trying to finish the fight quickly. He cut upwards, catching Ed's shoulder and sending blood out. The Slicer moved faster, nearly stabbing Ed in the middle. Ed fell back, breathing heavily.

"Just like a monkey, aren't you?"

"You better watch your mouth."

The Slicer laughed, "It's been so long since I've had such responsive prey! But judging from your wound and your breathing, it won't last much longer. My body, unlike yours, does not know fatigue. Give up any hope you had. As we speak, my colleague is disposing of your companion outside. You can't rely on him to help you now."

A rock hit him upside the head. He turned left, seeing Vi holding another rock.

"Leave my friends alone, bastard!" She threw another rock, hitting his chest plate.

He laughed, picking up his sword, "And would you rather I turn to you?"

"I'd rather you leave us alone, but that doesn't seem likely." She frowned, "Look, I came here to find my brother, and you're in the way. And I know how to take care of you. So I'll give you one chance to surrender."

He laughed again, "And what will you do, child? You have no weapon. How will you defeat me?"

"It's simple, really." She watched as Ed got up quietly, "I'm going to beat you using my bare hands!"

"Oh really? Then let's test your little theory, shall we?"

He went after her, sword ready to cut her head off. She smirked, ducking out of the way at the last second. The sword became embedded in the pillar. As he got it out, Ed came in and cut off the helmet portion of the armor, causing the rest of the body to collapse.

"No fair!"

Ed chuckled, "All's fair in war, pal. Everyone knows that."

"Besides, we wouldn't have won otherwise." Vi joined in.

Ed used Alchemy to retract the metal blade back.

"Why are you stopping now, boy?" The head asked, "My blood seal isn't broken yet."

He picked up the head, looking him straight in the eyes. "Your soul is attached to your helmet. Now that it's cut off, your body's just a useless hunk of iron. You're no threat to me anymore. Now down to business. There's something you need to tell me about."

"The Philosopher's Stone?" Ed gasped a bit, "If you came here, there's little else you could be seeking."

"Good, then let's cut to the chase. Tell me all you know about the stone and its connection to this lab."

"I can't do that."

"Oh really?" Ed moved the helmet around, "Listen Slicer, beaten up dogs don't get to call the shots. You tell me now, or I'm breaking your seal."

"Ed, don't get too smug…"

The Slicer laughed, "The battle isn't over yet."

He froze, the rest of the armor standing behind him. He didn't move in time to avoid a cut on the side. He clutched his side, the two of them looking shocked at the newest predicament.

"But how? It can't be…" Ed fell to his knees, dropping the helmet in the process.

"Ed!" Vi knelt down next to him, "Shit, he cut you pretty bad…"

"Haven't you heard of sharing? One set of armor doesn't have to mean one soul." The armor pointed to the inside, a blood seal at its neck.

"A second blood seal, this one on the body."

"Are you okay, older brother?"

"Yes, younger brother. Just barely."

"They're brothers…" Vi watched the scene in front of her.

"Did I forget to mention that?"

"Yes, you forgot." The armor replied.

"That's what made the mass murderer, the Slicer, so great."

"He was a pair of mass murdering brothers."

Ed stood up, looking a bit weak, "All this time, I've actually been fighting two people."

"Well, there went our advantage…" Vi prepared herself for the worse.

"All's fair in war."

"Isn't that what they said?"

"Yes, brother, it is."

The armor stood up, pointing his sword at Ed. "How dare you injure my older brother. I'll slice you off at the knees, so you're even closer to the ground."

"More short jokes, huh?" He looked pained as he talked, "You'll pay for that. Just like him!"

He clapped his hands together, but the armor moved forward with his sword.

"Oh no, I'm not giving you time for Alchemy."

* * *

**What'll happen now? Lol, sorry for the cliffhanger there. The chapter was getting to big for it's own good, and I figured that was a good cut off point. I'll try to get the next chapter out today or tomorrow, depending on time.**

**See ya'll soon!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Falling Away**

**Chapter Six: Lab Five, Part Three**

**Hi everyone!**

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I don't get to trick-or-treat... stupid rain. But you're not here to hear that, you're here to read! This is un-beta'd (Ilvhstry is off doing Halloween stuffs), but I hope this is still good, regardless.**

* * *

The Slicer's brother moved forward, giving Ed no time to do anything but dodge. More of his blood dripped onto the ground, his movements slowing down slightly as they went.

"Oh no you don't!" Vi ran forward, putting all of her weight into pushing the armor.

She bounced off, the armor completely ignoring her and continuing to attack Ed. The pommel of the sword made contact with Ed's gut, causing him to spit out a bit of blood. He backed up to a pillar, grabbing his injured side.

"Leave him alone!" Vi tossed another rock at it. "Come after me, you bastard!"

It was no use. Ed was pinned between the pillar and the armor. He looked straight ahead.

"This is for my brother!"

Vi watched fearfully as the armor sped up, decreasing the distance between himself and Ed. Ed got a determined look on his face.

"And this is for mine." He clapped his hands together.

"You don't have time to transmute!"

He ducked down beneath the sword, putting his hands on the armor.

"To beat a serial killer, I guess I'll have to act like one."

A light glowed on the armor, the man screaming as his middle fell apart.

"A partial transmutation!" The helmet's voice seemed a bit fearful, "He stopped at step two: breaking something apart!"

The armor fell apart, Ed sliding down the pillar to the floor.

"Sorry about that." He smirked a bit, "But I don't have time to die, I have work to do."

Vi sighed in relief, walking over to Ed. "Hey, are you alright?"

She glanced at the cuts, wincing a bit, "We need to get you to a hospital when we leave. Those look terrible."

The upper half of the armor started moving, causing Ed and Vi to panic.

"Curse you! Now you've done it!"

"Just shut up and rust!"

"Now Ed, that's not very nice…"

"The Slicer deserves better than this! You'll pay, Alchemist! Tear you apart!" His arms fell to the ground, "Won't we, older brother?"

"No, younger brother. It pains me to say it, but we've lost."

"Is this a real loss or a 'Surprise! There's another person here!' loss?"

Ed poked the lower half of the armor with his foot. "There, uh, wouldn't happen to be a third brother, would there?"

"No."

"You can pat yourselves on the back, children." The helmet man spoke, "This time, you really won."

"Perfect. Then this time, you can really tell me everything you know about the Philosopher's Stone."

"And where I could possibly find my brother, please."

"No, I cannot say. Listen to me, you must destroy us."

"You heard him, finish the job." The armor waved a hand, "There's nothing for the defeated but death. That's our rule."

"I'm not going to kill you." She looked to her right. "Ed?"

"I'm not going to kill anyone. That's not what I do."

The older soul huffed, "You're too generous with your words. Saying 'anyone' not 'anything'. As if we could still be called human in this twisted state. I didn't say kill us, I said destroy, destroy these things we've become. Now get on with it."

"The only way I could do that was if I admitted your definition was right. And if I did…" He clenched his fist, "If I accepted you weren't human… that means I'd have to admit the same of my brother. And I can't do that."

"…He's your brother." The older one said.

"My brother's a person, I'm telling you. And that means you guys are too. I don't want to kill you. I can't."

Vi nodded, "You both have human emotions and souls. To me, that is what being human is about. And I'm not going to kill a fellow human being."

The older brother started laughing.

"Are you alright, older brother?" The younger asked, concerned.

"Yes. It's funny, that's all." He chuckled, "As long as I can remember, my brother and I thrived on stealing, carnage and murder. We were demonized, spit on, called animals. Forget biology, we were inhuman because they couldn't stomach what we did. And now, for the first time, we're treated as people when we're scraps of metal! Ha-ha, it's too much! What a stupid irony!"

An explosion rocked the room, sending Vi tumbling back onto her heels.

Ed stood up, "That felt just like an earthquake…"

"You don't say?" Vi stood up, dusting herself off, "Did the movement in the room give you that idea? What was that, anyways?"

"Good question."

They turned themselves to look at the older Slicer's bit of armor.

"It might have been one of the many bombs set throughout this building to destroy the evidence. With that aftershock, there's a chance that even more will go off."

"Great. More explosions."

"I still don't know anything about this stupid place." Ed glared at the ground.

"I promised I would help you. Both of you. You came here to find the secrets of the Philosopher's Stone. I don't know very much about it, but I can lead you to the entrance of where they keep it."

"And my brother?" Vi looked at the ground, "I'm sorry to be a bother, but did you see him anywhere near the Lab? He has brown hair, green eyes, tall…"

"I would give up hope of finding your brother here. Many who have come here never leave."

She sighed, "That's alright. I'll look anyways. But let's help Ed out first."

Ed picked up the helmet gently. "Fine, but what about your little brother? I mean, we can't exactly leave him like this."

"No need to worry about me, just finish me off. Get it over with."

"I already told you, I'm not killing anybody, period!" Ed spat.

He laughed, "You're the one who said we're human, right?"

"We both did, yes." She watched as the armor sat itself up.

"Well, in that case, please tell me how am I supposed to go on living as scattered scraps of metal?"

"Well, uh… um…"

"I'm sure we can fix you!" Vi offered encouragingly, "We'll fix you with Alchemy, good as new!"

Ed put out the helmet, but the torso just moved around the pillar.

"Don't connect us, please! Do you really want us to remain here, guarding this abandoned building alone in this empty, lifeless shell of a body?"

"B-but who says you have to keep doing that?"

"You think we can go outside? Do you actually believe that people would let us roam around freely?"

"Wait a minute! My brother has the same kind of body you do. That's why I'm here, searching for the Philosopher's Stone. So I can return him to normal. And if I can just find it, I…"

"If we were returned to our normal bodies, we would just be executed." The older brother stopped Ed's words.

"Now do you understand? Even if we did become human, it would only be long enough to be killed. Or do you think they'd let us, a couple of serial killers, go free?"

"No! There has to…"

"Listen to us. I'm sure it seems very noble, but you don't understand how cruel it really is. Teasing us, calling us human when we can only live in this twisted form, making us remember what we've lost. That is truly inhumane." He raised his hands, his thumb mere inches from the Blood Seal.

"No! Stop, you idiot!"

Ed moved to pull back the armor's arm. Vi knelt down, picking up the helmet and letting her tears fall.

"There's nothing we can do…" She looked at the helmet in her arms, "What can we do?"

"Just shut up and watch."

"What are you talking about?" Ed continued to pull, "He's your little brother! Help me out here!"

She nodded, gently setting down the helmet and running to try and pull back the arm.

"He was happy you called him human. Now he can no longer go back to being Number 48. This is the only thing he can do to keep his human dignity."

Ed and Vi struggled to move the arm, getting nowhere.

"No, that's not true! I can't let you do this!"

Ed's hands slipped, sending him back. Vi continued to pull, falling back when she lost her footing.

"Brother, I'm going on ahead."

"Alright."

"No!" Ed got up to try and stop him.

He pressed his thumb against the seal, shattering it into pieces. Everything got quiet as the armor's arm fell down. Ed went to his knees, looking at the now soulless armor. Vi knelt next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder in silent comfort.

"My brother. Once I fulfill my promise, I will come to join you."

Ed's shoulder's shook. "What were you thinking? What were the two of you thinking?"

"It was the only choice he could make."

"No, it wasn't." Vi looked at the armor, "You both could have… you could have…"

"We treated you as humans. I gave him a choice, and he still choose to die. What could I have possibly done different to keep him alive?"

"I wish I knew…" Vi tore her gaze away from the lifeless armor.

"That is one of the many questions in this world that has no answer."

Ed stood up, "I'm going to return Al back to normal. I won't let him go through all of this."

"Let's go."

Ed picked up the helmet, walking towards the door. Vi took a final look back before she followed him out.

* * *

**And there we go! Happy Halloween to all, and to all a good pumpkin! And candy. Candy's good too.**

**See ya later!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Falling Away**

**Chapter Seven: Lab Five, Part Four**

**Hola everyone! Wandy here!**

**So, I've got a real treat for you all. Two chapters in one day! Figured I still had some apoligizing to do for leaving this fic for a while there...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The Slicer guided them down the hallways, Ed and Vi staying silent for the most part.

"Just checking, but we're past all the weird traps, right?"

She flinched a bit at the thought of the traps they had encountered earlier. "God, I hope not."

"No intruder has ever been able to get this far."

"You mean you and your brother killed anyone who ever tried." The Slicer laughed a bit before Ed continued. "So who was it that attached your souls to that suit of armor, anyway?"

Vi shrugged, "Maybe it was the muffin ma- Does anyone else hear that?"

Animal sounds came from further up the hallway. They peered into the darkness, glowing yellow eyes appearing in pairs.

"Now I know what mailmen feel every day…"

"I thought you said we were past all the weird traps." Ed whispered.

"This isn't a trap."

The odd animals sped towards them. Ed threw the helmet in the air, quickly transmuting his automail and slicing at one of the animals. Catching the helmet, he turned to face the next creature. Vi kicked one in the jaw, sending it back down the hall. She noticed the one behind it too late, screaming in pain as it clamped onto her arm. Ed was almost bit, but a shrill whistle stopped all of the animals' attacks. Vi tore off her left sleeve, hissing as she wrapped the bite on her arm.

"You alright?"

"No, but we have to keep moving." She looked around at the sitting animals, "What happened?"

They heard large steps heading towards them.

"The chimera heard their master, the one who created them."

"You're telling me someone lives down here?"

"Someone? I think he could be better described as something."

"Great." Vi looked down the hall in fear, "We really need to stop running into things down here."

A tall, bear-looking creature stopped in front of them.

"That's a chimera… you mean this one created all the others?"

"No." A harsh, whispery voice came from the creature. "Not all of them."

The creature's head tilted forward, a man's head on the back of it. His hair was dirt brown, and he had a wild look in his eyes through the glasses. They gasped, Ed's eyes widening in recognition.

"What is that?" Vi looked at Ed, who wasn't responding. "Ed?"

"It's been a long time, Edward." The man smiled.

Vi glanced at the man curiously, "How do you know Ed?"

"Tucker… the Sewing Life Alchemist." Ed tossed the helmet at Vi, running at the man and grabbing his throat. "But how?! The military said you were executed!"

"My brother and I were still alive in this place, even though the records say we were killed. Why should it surprise you that others were kept alive as chimeras?"

"Yeah, but that's not what I'm talking about!"

"Ed, calm down!" She looked worriedly at Ed. "Why are you so angry?"

"It's Nina." He looked pained when he said it, still looking directly at Tucker. "Your daughter is dead because of what you did. How could they allow you to live!"

"I'm living for Nina." Ed looked surprised, "I understand how you must feel right now, Edward. But please, let me explain."

Vi stood by quietly, confused as to what the heck just happened. Ed let go of Tucker's throat, looking at Vi and nodding. They all followed Tucker further into the building.

"So the military staged your execution and sent you here to make chimeras, am I right?"

She looked at the creepy jars, shuddering at the thought of what was inside. She stayed quiet, still slightly confused at what the two Alchemists were talking about.

"Not just chimeras, Edward. I have several research projects in the works, none of which can be made public. You can understand."

"Should've known that an old military facility would never close down…" She muttered to herself.

"There's still something you're not telling me. You've changed into a chimera, but you're not like the rest of those beasts back there. You've kept all of your intelligence from when you were human and you're stable, something you couldn't do before. What Alchemist has that kind of skill? Doctor Marcoh? Bass Gran? Or is it someone else?" He looked at the chimera, "Answer me, Tucker! Who the hell is running this place?!" Ed gasped, turning around.

"What's wrong, Ed?"

"Please don't look at her, Ed. She's extremely bashful."

Ed ran over, pulling back the curtain on the other side of the room. There was a tube of liquid, a chimera girl floating there.

"Nina…"

"What the hell is going on here?" Vi looked at the tubes, horrified.

"She's not yet able to keep her form when she's exposed to the open air."

She walked up to Ed, seeing the anger in his eyes. "You still can't find a way to perform a human transmutation and bring her back. So you've created a chimera that looks like her, is that it?"

Tucker rubbed the back of his head chin. "I tried and failed many times, and in the end I wound up in this form. But I- I'm almost there. Almost."

Tucker walked to the other side of the room, gold and green eyes watching him as he went.

"You mean it's possible?"

He opened the doors, Ed and Vi looking at the odd glow beyond the doorway. Ed ran in, looking at the red containers and big circle in the middle of the room. Vi stood at the doorway, shock on her face like a mask.

"That circle… it's like the one Rem used…"

Ed walked over to one of the containers, turning a valve. Liquid dripped out, forming a semi-solid object on the floor.

"That's the same stuff Marcoh had." Ed still looked shocked, "This is the incomplete Philosopher's Stone."

"Yes, it's incomplete, but it's still extremely powerful. You've seen it used before. If this amount of unfinished material could be carefully refined, you could make a true Philosopher's Stone. This is what you've been looking for, Edward. Many have tried, but no one has ever succeeded before. It's an impossible task for any ordinary Alchemist."

"Yeah, you're right." Ed had a gleam in his eye. "But you see, I'm no ordinary Alchemist."

She finally walked into the room, her steps hesitant. She went up to Ed.

"This is the only way to get Al back to the way he was, right?" He nodded, "So let's get to it! Just show me what I can help with."

He looked at her gratefully, "Right, let's get started!"

* * *

The pair sat on the ground, notes spread out in front of them. Tucker stood off to the side, watching them work.

"I think I get it now, what this facility was being used for. It was an operation to develop large scale military applications for Alchemy. Or, more specifically, how they could harness Human Alchemy to the military's advantage." He looked at one of the tanks, "That explains what they were doing with these incomplete Philosopher's Stones."

"Great. Let's give the military more weapons made out of people!" Vi said sarcastically, "Because that would solve all the world's problems."

"If you wanted to, you could use them to forge a complete Philosopher's Stone."

Ed looked at Tucker, "Does that mean you know how these fragments are made?"

"Not quite. By the time I came, this room was already here. Created and abandoned, most likely by the man who ran this place before, one Doctor Tim Marcoh. I can only guess his methods."

"They're made of- "

"Edward, does it honestly matter anymore, what it is they're made of?" Ed glared at him, "Even if they were, in fact, created using living human beings, are you capable of restoring them back to life?"

"This stuff is made with people?!" Vi jumped away from the tank, looking at Ed. "You knew this?"

He nodded, looking more burdened then he did before. Vi stared at the tanks, words racing through her mind and refusing to leave.

"So, in order to make a Philosopher's Stone, you have to sacrifice people?" He nodded again. "… I'm going to check on Al. Just…" She looked at the tanks again, "Don't do something you'll regret, okay?"

She walked out of the room, closing the doors behind her. She sighed, looking ahead.

"Well, I'm sure Al's having a great time outside…"

She walked back to the entrance of the Slicer's room, looking around.

"Now how do I get…"

Something moved at the corner of her vision. She cautiously walked into the Slicer's room, scanning the area.

"Hello?" She saw Al lying on the ground, his arms and legs missing. "Al!"

She ran to him, turning the armor over carefully. "Al, wake up! Damn it, Ed and I leave you alone and you get hurt."

"So, Fullmetal brought another person with him. Now that is surprising."

She turned, looking at a lady with a black dress and long, black hair.

"Who are you?" Vi got ready to fight, "And what are you doing here?"

The lady laughed at Vi's stance, "Please child, you won't get far like that."

"You hurt my friend, didn't you? What the hell do you want?!"

She screamed as the woman extended her nails, pinning her arms to the pillar next to Al. She walked up, smiling an eerie smile as Vi lost consciousness.

"Well, this certainly makes things more interesting."

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Lol, sorry guys. I had to do it. But at least you don't really have to wait. :)**

**See ya soon!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Falling Away**

**Chapter Eight: Lab Five, Part Five**

**Hola!**

**And here's the next chapter! Didn't take too long, did it? **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Vi woke up groggily, pain shooting through her limbs.

"Shit!" She hissed, looking around her.

She was tied up next to Al, who was still unconscious. She moved a bit, growling when her bonds only tightened.

"So much for getting out…" Vi sighed, leaning against the pillar, "Should've stayed with Ed. But then Al would be alone…"

Al groaned, causing her to jump a little bit.

"Al! Are you alright?"

"Vi! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, just taking a calming walk through the creepy lab." She looked at the exit, lowering her voice. "Who was that lady, anyways?"

"She's homunculi. An artificially created person that isn't human."

"Great. Living dolls." Vi closed her eyes, "Boy, what a night this has been. I hate this place."

A short, round man came in, grabbing Al by his helmet and Vi by her arm.

"Lust says it's time to go!"

They were dragged to the Red room, the conversation getting louder the closer they got.

"Envy!" Vi could hear the lady again, "Don't take it out on him because you failed to screen the ingredients thoroughly enough."

"I've seen you…" Ed was barely audible.

"If you don't want to suffer any more physical punishment, then I suggest you get on with the transmutation. We've had a minor, unexpected setback, but the ingredients are still fresh."

"You want me to use these convicts to make a Philosopher's Stone? Was that your plan, you really think I'd take their lives?"

"I think you have no choice in the matter, Edward."

They finally got to the room, the large man tossing Vi and Al forward. Ed looked at them, fear in his eyes.

"Al! Vi!"

"Brother…" The lady walked by them, "These people, they're Homunculi!"

"H-homunculi?"

Tucker walked over to the Homunculi, the little chimera girl in his arms. "That is correct. These people are indeed Homunculi. Perfectly created artificial humans. They've promised to provide me with the secrets of generating a Homunculus, so that I can at last bring my precious Nina back to life."

Ed looked at Tucker angrily, "Why are you even trying to recreate your daughter's body, when you can't do the same for her soul?!"

"But I already have her soul." He pointed to his head, "I keep it here. My Nina's indomitable spirit lives on in all of my memories of her. I can implant those in the mind of the homunculus, giving birth to a Nina even more perfect then the real one that inspired her."

"Memory implants?" Al said to himself.

"May I just say, Mr. Tucker, that you are a sick and twisted bastard." Vi spat at his feet. "And I pity you, you fool."

Vi winced when the lady kicked her a bit, "Behave."

"It still won't be the real Nina!"

Ed was kicked by the man next to him.

The man knelt down in front of Ed. "This pointless chit chat stops here. So, pipsqueak, why don't you shut up and get to work on the transmutations now. You can start by fixing the ceiling."

The lady, who Vi now though was Lust, sighed. "I'm embarrassed to admit, but our group is incapable of using Alchemy on our own. We have to rely on others to do it for us."

"If you can't use Alchemy, then what's the point? What could you possibly do with a Philosopher's Stone?" A silence filled the room. "Same as Cornello, huh? Let me guess, you've got a god complex and a desperate need for world domination."

"I want to become a human. Nothing more."

Ed got up off the ground. "If you guys are really Homunculi like you say, there must be an Alchemist somewhere that created you. Why don't you get him to do your dirty work for you?"

The taller man kicked Ed again, causing him to fall. "We weren't created by anyone." The man spat, "We were born."

Ed clutched his automail shoulder, clearly in pain.

"Given our limitations, all we could do was leave a trail of bread crumbs pointing towards the Stone. And advice some eager Alchemists on how to go about constructing the Stone for themselves."

"Wait a second, you mean you're the ones who showed Mogiar what to do with that Red Water in his mind?! And when Marcoh was working in this Lab, you must have told him about the secret ingredient! Not to mention Tucker's experiments and Cornello's fake Stone, which I guess you were behind too. "

"We laid the fake bait, and sure enough every idiot interested in the Stone came flocking." The taller man smiled.

"And that's the way we found you boys and your little friend. You found us."

Ed looked shock, "Are you saying that me coming here was part of your plan all along? …No. Al and I started this journey three years ago for our own reasons, of our own free will. And we went through hell to get here."

"You're here because that is what we wanted." Lust smiled.

"Al and I are nobody's puppets. Not the States and definitely not yours!"

"It's an Equivalent Exchange. I'm going to tell you everything you need to know to make a Philosopher's Stone. And in return, you're going to use it to turn all of us into humans."

"And why the hell should I trust you guys." Ed looked at the ground.

"Oh, but you misunderstand me, Fullmetal. We're not asking." She picked up the Slicer's helmet, flipping it open so that his blood seal was showing. "We're telling you. Do you have any idea what will happen to an attached soul when you do this?"

She stuck a fingernail inside the helmet, slowly scratching the blood away. Vi could hear his pained sounds.

"No…"

"Stop it! You can't do that, he's still a human being!" Ed screamed at Lust.

"Edward Elric, I want you to…" The Slicer spoke no more, Lust slicing the helmet into pieces.

"You bitch!" Vi struggled against her bonds, "What kind of person just does that?!"

She knelt down, taking Al's helmet off and putting her nails on his blood seal. She could hear Al gasp.

"Leave him alone, you bitch! I'll…"

She muffled her scream as Lust's nails cut into her ribs.

"This won't take long…"

"No!" Ed almost cried right then and there. "Please don't hurt him. He's my little brother, please don't take him away. I'm begging you!"

"Ed! It's okay."

"Don't give up on me now, Al. Okay?"

He clapped his real hand to his automail, fixing the ceiling with Alchemy. The man whistled, looking up at the now perfect ceiling. The larger man gathered the prisoners into the circle while Ed pushed the canisters into their places.

"Brother, no! You can't do this, it's not worth it!"

"That's it! You can do it, kid. I have faith."

"This is crazy!"

Vi sat there, sadly watching as Ed finished his preparations. She couldn't try to stop him, not when she knew she'd do the same in his shoes. He stepped up to the circle, the prisoners backing away.

"By doing this, brother… those people, they're human!"

"Yeah, and soon you and I will be." The taller man said, "So what's your problem?"

"I don't want to get my own body back if it means having to take someone else's life!"

"Hah! I thought for sure you and your brother would've gotten the message after your pathetic attempt to bring back Mommy. You gotta spend life to make life. Come on, this is basic Alchemy here! Don't kid yourself into thinking there's some way around that, cause there's not. As they say, death is the high cost of living."

"In order to achieve anything in life, you inevitably have to take it from someone else. That is what any honest adult knows."

"Wanna know something?" Vi snapped, "We're just kids! Kids, for crying out loud!"

"When Edward decided to join up with the State Alchemists, he gave up all claims too childhood in exchange for power. So don't start behaving like a child now because you can't have it both ways."

"I see now," Ed said without emotion, "This is really the truth behind all truths. Huh."

He clapped his hands together, moving up to the circle.

"I promised that I'd get you your body back no matter what."

He reached out to touch the circle, the prisoners scared out of their wits. Vi closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was to happen.

"Sorry, Al." Ed took his hands away from the transmutation circle. "I just can't do it."

The taller man huffed, going to punch Ed. But before he could, the wall blasted apart. The tubes broke, spreading the liquid all over the room. Everyone panicked a bit, wondering what was going on.

"Fullmetal Alchemist!"

Ed and Vi looked up, seeing a dark skinned man with a yellow jacket and an x scar across his face.

"Take your brother and friend and get out of here!"

"I don't need your help!"

"Maybe not, but your younger brother needs you. So does the girl."

Ed nodded slightly, turning around to run towards them. "Let's go!"

"Oh no!" Lust said angrily, "You aren't leaving until you finished what you started!"

Ed stepped into the liquid, light radiating from him. He yelled in pain as his arm turned into a spear, nearly hitting Lust.

"That's not good. Ed!"

"Even though it's unrefined, this much exposure to the Stone material could turn the boy into a god!" Lust sounded terrified.

They watched as spikes came out of the ground, attacking the Homunculi and Tucker and forcing them away. It wasn't too long before three people came to the door, looking on as the lights became like a whirlwind around Ed.

"Fullmetal, sir!" The woman looked worriedly at Ed.

"The boy's Alchemic power is multiplying rapidly!" The largest man shielded his eyes.

The woman wasted no time, going towards Ed from the doorway.

"Lieutenant, wait!"

She pushed on, pushing her way to Ed and hugging him. He seemed to tire out, and the lights died down quickly. Vi sighed in relief, wincing a bit as she tried to move.

"Hey, over here!"

The large blonde man rushed over, looking at Vi and an unresponsive Al.

"Are you alright to stand?" The man asked, looking at her blood soaked shirt in concern.

"I should be fine with some help." She lied, "Just get Ed and Al out of here."

He nodded, taking the boys out of the room in his arms. She sighed, leaning against the wall.

"Let's get you out too."

She looked up, seeing the woman from just moments ago in front of her.

"Easier said than done." Vi winced as she went to stand. "Hurts like hell."

The lieutenant caught her as she fell, sinking into complete darkness.

* * *

**And Lab Five is finally finished! Yay! I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Let me say one thing before I go: Thank you all. Thank you Ilvhstry for being my fantastic beta, dealing with my many emails filling your box. And thank you, readers of any of my fics. Your responses make me smile and push me forward. I have the best reviewers in the world! And yes, that may be biased. I'll get the next chapter out to you all as soon as possible.**

**See ya later!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Falling Away**

**Chapter Nine: Hospital Talks**

**Hi everyone!**

**So, no beta this time, either. Ilvhstry's been busy with life. Speaking of my beta, this is for you! You fantastic beta, you!**

**On with the show!**

* * *

Flowers stood on the wooden table next to the hospital bed. The white curtains moved, a slight breeze passing through the open window. Maes Hughes sat on a stool next to the bed, looking worriedly at the child on it. Said child groaned, squinting her eyes.

"Didn't think the lights in Heaven were this bright. You'd think they'd be worried about the electricity bill…"

Hughes laughed, "I don't think God worries about much."

Vi opened her eyes completely, smiling weakly at him, "Mr. Hughes, we've got to stop meeting in hospitals. They're depressing, not really matching my mood."

"Well, where did you expect to end up? A carnival?"

"No! There are creepy clowns at carnivals…"

Hughes looked at Vi, "Vienna Chase, what were you thinking?"

"Um… butterflies and rainbows?"

"This is no time for jokes. I told you to wait and let the adults look. But you ran off, and now you're hurt."

"I'm sorry." Her words were laced with grief. "I should have waited, but I couldn't. My brother and sister are the only family I've got. I just couldn't wait. I'm really sorry for worrying you, Mr. Hughes."

"Just… don't go running off like that again, alright? Elysia misses her big sister."

She laughed, "How long have I been out?"

"About a day. Everyone's been worried about you."

"Yeah…" She looked around, "What about Ed and Al? Are they alright?"

"Well, Ed's still knocked out. Al's been pretty quiet…"

She nodded, slowly sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"Well," Vi grunted as her feet hit the floor, "Someone has to keep Al company. Let's go see him."

"Oh no you don't." Hughes gently pushed her back into bed, "You're not allowed out of bed until a nurse or doctor says you can walk around. We don't want you to reopen some of those injuries you got."

"Fine." She huffed, lying back down. "But you better believe I'm going to see them once I get out of this bed."

"I'm counting on it." He chuckled, getting up and stretching a bit. "Well, I better get home. Gracia and Elysia will want to know you're alright."

"Great. More time in a hospital. I think I'm allergic to white, Mr. Hughes." She faked a cough and smiled.

Hughes laughed, making his way to the door. "I think you'll be fine for a few days, kid. Behave while I'm gone."

"Yep!"

* * *

Vi slowly got out of bed, careful not to make a loud noise on this quiet night. She looked out her door before slipping into the hallway. She leaned against the wall, looking at each room.

"Now which room was it?" She whispered to herself.

"Who are you looking for, Ms. Chase?"

"Ed and Al, do you know where…" She turned, Nurse Raven looking at her in disapproval. "…Should've known you'd catch me."

"This is the third time in a row. Can't you just sleep the whole night through, for once?"

"Well, if you'd let me see Ed and Al, maybe I wouldn't sneak out as much." She challenged.

"Mr. Elric isn't even awake yet. Go back to bed."

"But Alphonse is. And I can almost guarantee you he's up, worrying about his brother. So I'm not going to bed until I see them."

Raven sighed, "At least let me get you a wheelchair. I'd rather you not hurt yourself like last time."

"Yeah, I didn't think that was enjoyable either." She looked at her side, "Hurts worse the second time it's open."

She came back with a wheelchair, gently helping Vi into it. She then pushed her into a room a few doors away from Vi's. Al looked up from his corner.

"Vi! What are you doing here?"

"Keeping you company, silly." She looked back at the nurse. "Thank you for getting me here."

"I'll be back in an hour. Then you're going to bed."

"I promise I will at least try to sleep."

"Good."

Nurse Raven walked away, leaving the three of them in the room.

"How are you holding up?" She sounded concerned, "I know Ed's been out for a while, and you've just been here. You alright?"

"I'm fine."

Vi wasn't entirely convinced, "I know it has to be hard, sitting here and being able to do nothing…"

"I said I'm fine. You should be worrying about yourself."

She laughed quietly, "Sorry, don't care much about myself right now." She looked serious, "I'm not the one with an unconscious brother and missing limbs. Something the matter?"

Al stayed silent. She huffed, looking over to where Ed laid peacefully.

"I know what it's like, being worried about your big brother. And I can tell that something's wrong. Want to talk about it?"

"No. I don't."

"Alright, don't talk to me." She sighed, frustrated. "Can't do anything right…"

"Why do you say that?"

"My sister was torn out of my arms, I don't get any leads for months… and to top it all off, I go to find my brother at the Lab and find nothing. Just a dead end and a trip to the hospital. And then I try to help you, and that fails." She faked a laugh, "Some help I am."

"Don't say that! I'm sure you helped brother a lot in there."

"Yeah…" She looked at Al, "How did you get inside, anyways?"

"The wall was blown up by Scar. I walked in to find you two."

"Scar? The man in the yellow jacket with the scar on his face?"

"Yep."

"But isn't he killing State Alchemists? Why did he let Ed go?"

"I don't know."

"Ms. Chase."

Vi sighed as the nurse came in, "It hasn't been an hour, has it?"

"Yes it has. Time for you to get some rest."

She yawned, "Yeah, I guess I should. Good night Al! I'll come visit tomorrow, alright?"

"Whatever."

She sighed as Raven rolled her away from her room. "What's wrong with Al…"

"I'm sure your friend's just worried about his brother."

"Yeah."

"In the meantime, you should worry about healing properly. This means sleep for you."

"Fine." She yawned as she crawled into bed, "But I'm not going to…"

Nurse Raven smiled as Vi began to snore softly.

"Good night, Ms. Chase."

* * *

**Done! So was it good? Bad? I'm terrible without my beta...**

**See ya soon!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Falling Away**

**Chapter Ten: Thoughts and Repairs**

**Good morning/afternoon/night!**

**Sorry I didn't post this right away, school got reall hectic with conferences and all. But I'm back! And it's chapter ten?! I didn't think I'd make it this far. I'm so happy! :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Good morning, Ms. Chase."

Vi groaned as she turned on the bed. "Mom, I don't want to go to school…"

Nurse Raven chuckled, "First it's getting you to sleep, and now it's getting you up."

"Too early to be up…"

"Your friend Edward is awake."

"Really?!" She sat up, looking at the nurse. "Is he alright? How's Al doing now? How long has he been awake? Is there…"

"Whoa, slow down!" Raven laughed, "He's perfectly fine now. You can see him after breakfast."

"Yay, hospital food." She groaned, "Sure I can't skip it?"

"Not unless you want me to tell the Major what you've been up to for the past two days."

"Yay, hospital food! Best food there is!"

"Glad you think so!" She laughed, handing Vi her food, "The Major will be around soon. He wants to take you to visit himself."

"Fine by me." She muttered between bites of food, "But can I walk there this time? I don't like the wheelchair."

"Then you shouldn't have torn open that gash, huh?"

"One little trip, and everyone's breathing down your neck…"

"What was that?"

"N-nothing!"

"Hey Vienna!" Hughes walked into the room.

"Hi Mr. Hughes!" Vi finished off her food, "How are you today?"

"Oh, same as always." Hughes looked at her, "Something you want to tell me?"

She looked at him suspiciously, "Like what?"

"Like what were you thinking, getting out of bed in the middle of the night and hurting yourself?"

Vi glared at Nurse Raven, "Traitor!"

"What were you thinking?"

"Al was all alone in there! And he was worried to pieces- no pun intended- about his brother. I just wanted to check up on him. And there was a rock in my way…"

"A rock in a hospital?"

"Yes! It wanted me to fail, so it set itself up in my way. So you see, it's all the rocks fault!"

He laughed, watching Vi's face turn red with rage. "Well, it's not my fault you'll have to stay here a bit longer. As long as you're alright."

She sighed, "It's not that bad! Just a little scratch…"

"Which needed stitches to keep it together."

"Yeah… they'll come out eventually, so I'll be fine! Anyways, can we go see Ed and Al now?"

Nurse Raven sighed, "I'll go get the wheelchair."

* * *

"Hi guys." Vi beamed as Hughes pushed her into the room.

"Vi!" Ed looked confused, "Why are you in a wheelchair?"

"Oh, you know, just rolling." Vi laughed a little.

"Hey Edward!" Hughes grinned, "I've heard you've been up and around today."

Vi watched as the two adults saluted Hughes. The woman looked at Vi, relief in her eyes.

"Yeah, a little."

"Better than me, Ed." Vi sighed, "I'm not allowed out of this chair for a few days."

"How about you, Al?" Hughes asked, "You holding up too?"

"Sure."

Vi sighed, looking at Al worriedly.

"Oh, I forgot. I haven't had a chance to eat lunch today."

"Oh, well, I'll get you some food sir!" The man put down the books in his arms.

"Yeah. Uh, Lieutenant Ross, why don't you go with him."

"Understood, sir."

"Um… Lieutenant Ross?" She looked at the child in the wheelchair, "Thank you for helping me back there."

The Lieutenant smiled, nodding her head as she left with the man.

"Thanks! I'm real hungry, I've just been so busy" He chuckled a bit as the door closed.

He moved Vi next to Ed's bed, sitting down in the stool next to her. He looked between the three of them.

"About Lab Five..." He looked very serious, "As far as the official military report goes, everything that happened there is considered collateral damage caused by Scar while he was pursuing you. But, needless to say, I'm not really convinced of that. We found a lot of corpses we suspect were chimeras and a great deal of sophisticated equipment that I can't help but think was working until yesterday. And surviving prisoners claim to be taken there by Brigadier General Grand, who we both know is in a grave with an exploded skull. Ed, what the hell happened there?"

No one spoke up.

"Ed?"

"How should I know? I passed out."

"Don't give me that. Just tell me what you saw, will ya?"

Ed looked at war with himself, as if even thinking about it caused him pain. After a long pause, he spoke.

"Homunculi."

That one word painted shock onto Hughes' face. "You're kidding me. Artificial people?"

"That's right. Believe me, they weren't human at all."

Vi flinched unconsciously, putting a hand on her side. Hughes caught it out of the corner of his eye, looking at her in concern.

"You alright?"

"Fine." She lied.

He turned back to Ed, "So they're connected to the Philosopher's Stone?"

"I'll say, they were trying to convince me to create a Stone for them to make them human. And worse, they wanted me to use those prisoners to pull it off."

"That's hard to believe."

"Tell him guys. Isn't that right?"

"Yes."

Vi sighed, nodding her head. "You know how the people here couldn't quite classify what cut me? One of them can grow her nails out at will. And boy, do they hurt."

"A guardian who's soul was attached to armor, a psychopath named Envy, tattoos of arborous, the serpent that devours its own tail, and the arrays to make a Philosopher's Stone. Those are the things I saw in there, Hughes."

"This is turning into an awfully serious matter, and the whole thing is about a little red stone."

"It's been serious for years, now. Dr. Marcoh told me the Stone was used as a weapon in the eastern rebellion. Anyway, these homunculi told me they were keeping me alive for their sakes, that they were told to."

"And what about you, Vi? Find your brother?"

"Nothing." She sighed, "Not even a hint as to where he's run off to. We're back to square one."

He nodded, "Thanks for the information, kids. I'll take it from here. Now get some rest. Why don't you all just worry about yourselves for a while."

"You want me to go back to my room." She pouted a bit.

Hughes laughed, pushing her out of the boy's room and back to hers.

* * *

"Finally free!"

Vi was walking down the hall, normal clothes on and stitches out. She was positively beaming at Nurse Raven, who was smiling at the end of the hall.

"Well, look who's up and about."

"Yeah! And I get to leave as soon as Mr. Hughes signs the paperwork." She smiled, holding up a small teddy bear she had made, "Just in time, too. Elysia's birthday's tomorrow, and I wouldn't want to miss it."

"Going to see the Elrics before you head out?"

"That's the plan. Someone has to watch them."

"Well, Ms. Rockbell is here, so you might not be…"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! MILK'S GOOD FOR YOU, DRINK IT!" A female voice rang out from the boys' room.

"FORGET IT! I HATE WHAT I HATE, IT'S NOT LIKE I'LL DIE BECAUSE I DON'T DRINK THAT CRAP!"

"Well, I'm gonna walk around the wing one more time." Vi turned around, whistling as she walked.

She ran into Hughes a short time afterwards. "Hi Mr. Hughes!"

"Hey!" He smiled, "Look who's up and about."

"Yep! And I can leave this place now!"

He chuckled, "Well, after we go get Winry, I'll sign the papers and we can go."

"Winry?" She thought a moment, "That's Ed's automail mechanic, right?"

Just then, a blonde girl came running out of the Elrics room. She stopped in front of Hughes, who wore a smile on his face.

"Hi. It's nice to finally meet you Winry. I'm Ed and Al's friend, the Lieutenant Colonel, or Maes Hughes."

Winry shook his hand, "Oh, hey."

"Oh, and lest I forget…" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a picture of Elysia. "This here's my beautiful daughter Elysia. Isn't she a bundle of divine cuteness? You're dying to meet her, aren't you?"

Vi stifled a giggle as Winry leaned back a bit.

"Uh, yes, I guess."

"Alright, then I'm going to let you." He grabbed her by the shoulders and held her outside the Elrics open door. "Don't you worry about Winry, I'm going to look after her a while. Bye now!"

He slammed the door, running off with Winry. Vi chuckled, shaking her head as she re opened the door.

"He brought out the Elysia picture." She smiled at the boys, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her too."

"You're getting out of here?"

"Yep. Now, Ed, you better rest well and…"

"Vi! Time to go!"

"Coming Mr. Hughes!" She shook her head, "Better go before Hughes explodes. See ya later!"

* * *

Vi smiled as Elysia blew out her candles, clapping with everyone else. The party was going great, the children running around as the adults talked. Winry stood off to the side, looking far off in thought. As Vi was walking over to meet her, Elysia walked up to her with a smile.

"You're pretty."

Winry looked down, smiling as she set down her drink and knelt to her level. "Hey there Elysia. Can you tell me how old you are today?"

Elysia counted on her fingers. "One, two, three…" She held up four fingers and smiled. "I'm four!"

"Right!" Winry hugged her, "You're so adorable!"

"Winry, know what?" She released Elysia from her hug. "Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations! Know why? Daddy says when you tell someone congratulations, good things will happen to them. So I'm telling you!"

"Thank you, that's sweet."

Vi smiled as she walked over to them, kneeling down next to the two of them.

"My, my!" Hughes sat down in a nearby chair, "If I didn't know, I'd think the three of you were really sisters."

"You think so?" Winry put a hand on Elysia's head. "I always wished I had a little sister like this. I'm just an only child, after all."

"You have brothers. Two great ones."

"Mr. Hughes is right." Vi smiled, "Family doesn't just mean blood, ya know?"

Winry sighed a bit, "No I don't. Real brothers would tell me things and let me into their lives a little. But those two have always kept me at arm's length from anything that actually matters."

"Sorry, can't help that. Guys like them, they speak more with their actions then their words." He started to clean his glasses. "They like people to be happy. They do dangerous work, and they don't want to burden anyone else with their problems. Or make them worry about them. So they keep quiet. But despite all that, when the pressure valve breaks and they have to talk, you're the one they'll go to. Right?"

She put a hand on Winry's shoulder, smiling encouragingly. "They're both stubborn, so they won't come to you right away. But they will come talk to you, because they trust you."

"You're the one they can count on when they need to. And that in itself says a lot." Hughes put his glasses back on, "But for brothers to count on their older sister, she's gonna have to be there and be strong."

Winry smiled a bit, "That makes sense."

"Here ya go!" Gracia came up to them with a box. "Thanks for waiting. It's Edward's birthday cake, fresh from the oven. I hope he likes it."

"Oh goodness gracious, I didn't know it was Ed's birthday too!" Vi looked panicked. "I don't have a present for him… unless… Winry, if you're going to see them, can you wait for me? I gotta go get something from my room."

She just nodded, watching Vi weave through the people and jump up the stairs.

They arrived at the hospital later, Winry still holding Ed's cake. Vi gave Winry an encouraging smile.

"Why don't you go and see them first? I bet they'll be more excited to see you then me."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll be up on the roof when you're done."

Winry nodded, running through the halls to the boys' room. Vi went and sat on some crates on the roof, pulling out her sketchbook and drawing to her heart's content. She heard the door next to her open, Al and a man coming out. The man situated Al on the wall, backing away once he was sturdy.

"Are you sure you'll be okay out here? I mean, by yourself?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Well, I'll come back to move you later."

"Thanks."

Vi waited for the door to close before popping out from her place on the crates. "Hey Al."

"Hi."

She sighed, "Still don't wanna talk to me?"

"Not really."

"Alright." She went back to drawing, keeping Al in her peripheral vision as she sketched.

"…was I ever really human at all?"

She looked up, casting a worried glance at the boy.

"What do you mean by that, Al?"

"Nothing."

She sighed, turning her attention to the finishing touches of her drawing. The door opened again soon after, Ed and Winry carrying bags full of metal scraps.

"Listen, I'm sorry. And I'm going to fix you right now."

Winry dropped her load on the ground. "I brought these parts from Risemboul. They should be enough."

Ed began arranging the parts, "Trust me, I'm not going to give up on this yet Al. We're gonna do this, but we'll do it the right way. And we'll be normal again, I'm sure."

"Maybe you can go back to normal, brother, and I hope you do. But I'm not sure I ever can."

"Ah, what are you talking about? Of course you can Al." He stood up. "Here it goes."

Ed clapped, putting his hands on Al's armor. It glowed with an inner blue light, blue lightning running down to make his limbs again. Vi and Winry watched in awe as Al was restored to normal.

"How's that?" Ed grinned at seeing his brother whole again.

"That's how you made me this way when you attached my soul to this armor in the first place, isn't it."

"That's right."

"Along with my memories." Ed looked shocked, "After all, memories are just information you can reference, like a cabinet of files. As skilled an alchemist as you are, you could've created any memories you wanted me to have."

"…fake memories? Don't tell me that's what you're upset about."

"Why shouldn't it be? A while back in Risemboul, there was something you wanted to tell me. But you couldn't. You said you were afraid of how I'd react. You remember that, don't you? I can't remember parts of my past because they never happened. My memories and my soul are fake, something you created. Isn't that what you wanted to say?"

Ed looked horrified, and Vi couldn't blame him.

"No, what Ed wanted to tell you was that…"

"Stop lying to me!" One of Al's hands shot out near Winry, sending her back a bit. "I know what the truth is. The person named Alphonse Elric never existed at all."

"Al, I know that that can't be true!" Vi tried to talk to him.

"And what would you know? You just got here! How can I believe anyone when there's no way to prove it, when I'm just a hollow shell? All three of you could be in on it together."

"So, you've been sitting on those thoughts all this time?" Ed finally found his voice again, "Is there anything else you're hiding, that you want to say?"

"What about you, my so-called brother? Answer my question: Why won't you say anything, unless it's true!"

Al went to run, but Ed grabbed his wrist.

"Let go of me. What's the point of living this lie!"

He threw up his arm, sending Ed back. Vi jumped over the crates, standing in his way.

"Al, that's not what Ed…"

He shoved her out of the way, sending her towards the door.

"You idiot!" Ed grabbed hold of Al with both hands.

He struggled against his older brother. "Let go of me! Let go!"

"Al." He struggled to keep a hold of him. "Stop."

The girls watched helplessly until Al punched Ed, sending him flying back.

"I won't stay here!"

"Edward." Winry ran over to help him.

He got up, blood coming out of the corner of his mouth. "Alphonse."

"Stay back."

"Hold on…" Ed sat up a bit more.

"Just stay back! Keep away from me!" Al turned around, running for the edge of the roof.

"Please Al!" He watched as Al leapt over the railing. "AL!"

Ed ran for the edge, Winry and Vi close behind him. They had to stop Ed from leaping over after his brother. Vi's heart broke a bit at Ed calling desperately for his little brother.

"Hey." Ed didn't hear her. "Hey!"

He turned on her. "What?!"

"It'll be alright. We'll go find him and explain it all to him. He's just lost and confused."

"And what would you know? He's my little brother…"

Determination lit up in her eyes. "We will find him. I promise you, Ed, we will."

* * *

**There we go! Took me most of the day to figure out, but it's worth it to make you guys and gals happy. So I know this was a bit long (to me, anyways), but do you think this is still good? Should I make the chapters longer like this?**

**See ya soon! **


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